Ryan Byrd’s Ramblings

Objective: To build a bridge using only the provided wire clothes hangers and duct tape, with the following constraints:

The bridge:

• Spans the gap between the two tables (12″)
• Is not longer than 15″
• Stands no more than 5″ tall
• Is constructed in 10 minutes with only 3 wire clothes hangers and 18″ of duct tape. Scissors and needle nose pliers are provided as tools.

Rules and Definitions:

• A bridge is considered broken when any part of it falls below an imaginary line 5″ below the top of the tables
• The bridge that can hold the greatest weight without breaking wins.
• The bridge cannot be taped to the tables or any other object
• The bridge can touch to top of the tables only
• The weight straps will be placed 3″ in from each table side
• Weight will be added until the bridge breaks
• Each bridge will be tested once and no repairs or alterations are allowed during the testing

Yes, this is a RBDN original Engineering Mini-Challenge. NOWHERE ON THE INTERNET DOES THIS ALREADY EXIST!!!

CONGRATULATIONS to Jared A. for his winning design which held 4 large rocks (about 30 pounds).

Maybe I came up with this list on the way to the gym yesterday. Maybe I don’t even go to the gym? Maybe you’ve already thought all of these before?

1. Why is it that no matter how attractive a woman is, if her hair goes past the middle of her back we automatically think she’s a crazy hippie chick?
2. Why do rush hour and happy hour last longer than an hour?
3. Why does being “back in a minute” mean you’ll be back in five minutes at the earliest?
4. Why does “It was really good to see you, we should get together some time” actually mean, “you’ve become ugly fat and we have nothing in common. Sayonara, bridge troll.”
5. Why are the least physically fit and least experienced bicyclists the first to gear up with expensive stretchy shorts and logo’d racing tops?

That’s all.

Usually when Canadians go crazy, they drink tons of maple syrup or say “aye” more often. That was surely not the case recently in Vancouver (which I’m told is someplace in Canadia.)

Canadians are annoyingly nationalistic. If you’ve ever met one, you’ve gotten an immediate earful list of actors and musicians that are from Canada (even though all of those performers have long since moved to the States.) They’ll also tell you how good Canadians are at hockey, which they wrongly believe is the world’s most awesomest sport (that would be competitive paintball.) As it turns out, no one cares about hockey, except Canucks (and Russians and Americans back in 1980.)

Still, Canadians view their country as producing the greatest hockey players EVER, so when their hockey teams get beaten, the nation as a whole is upset.

Such a flipout happened after a ice-puck-beat-down at he hands of the Boston Bruins on June 16th. Our northern brothers lost the Stanley Cup, and so they proceeded to burn down their city, overturn cars and in generally, act like ravaging polar bears in heat.

Fortunately, not all the country turned out to be thugs. Among all 100 or so Canadians, were a couple, overcome with a different fiery passion who decided to make out as the mayhem erupted around them. The fell to the ground (which in this case happened to be the middle of the street, behind the riot police) and began a vigorous snogging session in plain daylight. I can’t blame them; when my heart speaks, I listen too.

Are you a lover or a fighter?

One button. Thirty seconds. Pancake!

Imagine a bedside version of this pancake-o-matic attached to an alarm clock. Wake up to a buttery stack of flapjacks!